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Ok so there was nothing actually wrong with Bridget’s pipes. Just stock VW mufflers, looking and sounding like what they are. Following some folks on the forum a while back I bought the EMPI single exhaust muffler. Figured it’d make her look a bit more TD-ish and that installation would be easy.
OK, so, anyone else have any trouble getting the pan out so you could reach the bolts holding on the old muffler? Mine wouldn’t budge no matter how I turned it. I got a few exhaust bolts out by propping the pan up with a screwdriver and working around it (OK, actually broke two bolts off, but no harm; they were going away anyway). (Also unscrewed one of the starboard studs with the nut that was on it).
Finally got backed into a corner, couldn’t reach the driver’s side bolts no how, so I just snipped the pan.
Pan came out easy then.
Found a use for those shim plates left over from the driver’s door. I’ll drill another hole or two in them and put some oval head screws through them and the pan will be good as new–modified for TD use!
anyway. So things got moving smartly after that, until I reached the last nut. It seemed to be turning smoothly enough. Then…
! Broke it off in the head. Not a lot of room to work here either. 
My right angle drill attachment just about fits, but with no room for a drill bit. Hoping there’s enough sticking out that I can get a vicegrip on it and maybe ease it out.If anyone knows an easy way (besides “don’t mess with stuff that’s not broke in the first place”) I’m all ears.
Not really laughing, But went through similar fun with Ally, Havent replaced tin yet, Seems to run fine without, I’ll attack it some time tis summer. My bolt stripped had to rethread. Also first time on I forgot the the pipe gaskets and had to pull it off to put those on. They call them donuts. good luck, but what a pain.
ed;If the visegrip fails,you can try to weld a nut to what is left of the stud.The heat from welding the the nut should help to free things up.
Made it home from work today by 5:30. Tried putting the nut on, banging on it a bit, loosening the nut and banging some more, thinking I could jar it lose from the threads in the head. Got the vicegrips on it and…no go.
I like Old Buzz’s idea but I don’t have a welder yet and don’t know how to weld. Don’t even have a torch. Figured welding a nut to a stud probably not that hard, but maybe not a first-timer project. So it was on to the drills. Luckily, didn’t have to drop the engine out.
right-angle drill just about fit.
Had to drill it twice, since it was off center. Then the right-angle tool was getting hot. Took it apart and greased it. Finally, about 9 PM, we got to here:
That’s the original gasket sitting on the last drill bit.Never did get any of the stud out intact.
Question: just tap the hole or helicoil it?
All tapped. I don’t know if I deserve brownie points or a dope slap for going out an buying a $43 metric tap & die set to do this, instead of just tapping it with a 3/8 SAE thread and screwing in a half-inch bolt. So close to 13mm I don’t guess anyone would’ve noticed the difference. Still,
Maybe some day they’ll come in handy again. And I can say Bridget still has the correct 8mm studs holding her exhaust pipes on. Not that I could lay my hands on actual 8mm studs.
Bought some long bolts and cut them, then straightened out the threads.My excuse for doing this, instead of just bolting the pipes on, is that I have the theory that turning the bolt might be harder on the tapped hole than turning a nut on a stud would be. I think it might be just a tad easier to strip the head with a bolt. If anyone knows better, chime in. I much prefer to take shortcuts whenever feasible.
With the idea that someone, some day, might have to take this apart again, I used the recommended anti-seize compound.
Bugger went in straight. Bloody miracle.
Now we’ll see if I can remember how all those little pieces fit together.
ed conratulations,looks like a fine job done well.I have always had a difficult time getting studs drilled out straight,even with plenty of room to work.And you did it with limited access.
Great job
.Thanks for the awesome job of the photos and documenting. Photos can really help. I am more of a visual guy, I like pictures and commentary.
KUDOS ED!
Thanks for the kind words, guys. I was a little sheepish going into such detail on what might be routine stuff for a lot of you guys. But I haven’t drilled out a broken stud or bolt in 25 years or more, so to me it’s hazardous adventure.
So I got the pipes back on today after work. Wondering if I can (or should) reuse these topside heat exchangers. They seem to be made to come apart with a bit of prying:
This one seemed too tight on the new pipe. with one tab bent over I couldn’t move it, and couldn’t be sure if it would line up with the box below it. Trying a test fit of the new mufflers I discovered that, naturally, nothing was going to fit without a bit of prybar persuasion. I put the heat exchangers aside to concentrate on getting the actual muffler on.
Rear frame member made it impossible to just slip the thing in and hang it on the studs. Had to pry the pipes from the forward cylinders down (and in) to get it to grab.
This prybar, by the way, is a stainless door bar holder–like it’s made to drop a 2 x 6 in to bar your basement door from the inside. I used two of them last year as part of an outboard motor hoist/stand I built to take the blown Mercury 90 off the back of my boat and replace it with a slightly less used Johnson 90. That’s actually another ongoing saga.But anyway, that latch thing is bent just right to put pressure on these pipes without–I hope–unduly stressing any of the rest of the engine. Using the jack I was able to get the pipe to bow about 3/4 of an inch, and didn’t have to wake up Karen to get her to work the long prybar.
Left the donuts on from before. Thanks for the reminder, Rich!
A little more attitude adjustment for the carb heat pipes, some more never-seize and some lock washers for the various nuts and bolts, and voila:
started her up & she sounds good. A bit quieter than before.
Tomorrow I’ll change the oil and run her around the block, then get the tin back in and hook up the hot air hoses somehow. Looks like I could maybe just clamp them onto the lower heat boxes and forego entirely those two upper pipe heat exchangers.
I welcome any advice.
Can’t say that I have seen a complete stock heating/cooling system on a V dub in a long time.My 2 cents would be,the upper heat exchangers are to help preheat the air going into the lower exchanger,and possibly keep the head pipe cool for the carb heater crossover.
But seeing as most of us aren’t driving our MG’s in extreme cold they could probably be elimenated.
Where did you get the muffler with the one pipe. I too like the idea to make it look more MGish. Is there part numbers etc. or a place to order one? Thanks!
I just did what Rollie did on this forum.
https://tdreplica.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=653&P N=1
Ordered PN 3487 from Doghouserepair. Was under $100 and came right away.
It comes with the gaskets you need–but you have to save the old “donut” gaskets that attach to the front pipes. For an experienced tinkerer, the job is not as tough as I made it look. Any muffler shop will install it for you, I’m sure.
Here’s the relevant post:
“…I installed the [part] #3487. He is correct again in that #3487 allows you to
retain the heat tubes. I have about 1500 miles on it, and think it is
perfect. I can hear conversation at 60 mph, but if I give it the gas,
it has a nice sound. It really doesn’t sound much like a VW eather. The
big advantage is the lower operating temperature. On a hot day, it used
to run 230+ at only 55 mph. With the new setup, 210 at 60+ mph. I also
changed to synthetic oil. On the old setup, the rear deck was
sitting on the pipes. It also seems to run better! Good luck with
your project and thanks to ” pink mg “.”
edsnova40257.8523958333All done. Seems to work good. Also changed the oil. Got her out on a grocery run before dinner. Here’s the final pics:
mending the tin–using the shims I took from the driver’s door latch.
heat hoses can snake past the upper pipes. I know all you V-Dub guys already knew this.
all in. Pretty stock looking.
clamped to the heater box.
edsnova40257.8702662037
Thanks for pointing me to the “doghouse” for the muffler. It is just what I was looking for! Thanks again. I just bought a dutchess and the 4 tailpipes are rusty. So, I decided to make it look more like a TD.
Thanks again!
Steve
Ed, Bridget sure looks good in the sunshine and I bet you are as glad to see it as she is. I enjoyed your posts about the muffler, the step by step along with the pictures was great.Glad it turned out well. The dash trim and steering wheel look good too,she’s getting more British all the time.
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